In state House District 96 and Broward County Commission District 2, lawsuits have been filed arguing that all registered voters in those districts should be allowed to vote in the Aug. 26 primaries.

The lawsuits are based on the fact that write-in candidates in those races, whose presence closed the primaries to Democrats only, are not qualified to run because they don't live within the districts where they're running.

But time is ticking, and the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office can't afford to wait for a late court ruling. Absentee ballots go out to overseas voters on July 12. Domestic absentee ballots start going out on July 22.

If the primaries in those races ultimately are open, Republicans and independent voters need those races on their ballots.

In addition, the ballot coding has to be done for early voting, which starts Aug. 15.

Mary Cooney, the candidate liaison in the elections office, said supervisor Snipes has decided to plan those races as if the primaries will be open.

If they didn't plan for it that way, and judges ruled that the primaries are open, the office would be faced with a chaotic situation, having to recode the elections at the last minute.

So, Cooney said, they're planning for an open primary in case the judges rule that way.

"That's the way we're proceeding,'' she said.

If the litigation ultimately fails, absentee ballot votes from Republicans and independents just wouldn't be counted, in those races.

For those who vote at the polls, signs would be posted letting non-Democrats know that if they vote in those races, it won't be counted, Cooney said.